Ludlow Town CouncilLudlow

Ludlow Town Council would like to thank residents for taking part in our budget consultation in recent years.

Last year, we were pleased to hear that residents supported safeguarding Ludlow’s play areas, and we have made provision in the budget, and are in the process of negotiating the transfer with Shropshire Council.

In the last few years, Ludlow Town Council has focused on strengthening its the finances to enable the process of change.Recent changes have included opening Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross in 2016, refurbishment works to the Guildhall in 2017 /18, progressing the works to the Town Walls, and supporting local bus services.Future changes include taking on twelve play areas from Shropshire Council, and supporting a sustainable future for Visitor Information Services.However, Ludlow Town Council understands that continual increases to Council Tax is unsustainable.

Ludlow Town Council are committed to no Council Tax increase in 2019/20.

Project Development

We would like to take this opportunity to explain some of the things we have been doing, and also things we will be doing.

Town Walls

Ludlow Town Council concluded tripartite discussions with Shropshire Council and St Laurence’s Parochial Church Council with a newly acquired maintenance responsibility for Ludlow Town Walls at St Laurence’s Church.Ludlow Town Council has since taken up its responsibility, and has been working with the Morton Partnership Ltd, who were are appointed by the Town Council to advise on the repairs of the section of Town Wall to the North of St Laurence Churchyard.

The Morton Partnership have compiled a three stage process for the delivery of the repairs to the town wall.

We have reached the conclusion of Stage 1 scoping, and are now entering stage two, which is the implementation of:

·Cores through Walls

·Scaffold access for cores

·Additional Ecological Surveys

·Historic Environment Desk Based Study

·Additional Archaeological work

·Measured Survey and Recording

·Materials Testing

·Arboriculture Report

·Appointment of Lead Consultant and Structural Engineer

·Quantity Surveyor

Ludlow Town Council believes the most expedient and cost effective way to fund £35,550.00 stage two works is through a Public Works Loan Board loan.The interest rate is fixed at 1.96% over the term of the loan.

The evidence gathered at Stage 2 will enable the final Stage 3 tendering and undertaking repairs.Funding for this stage will be discussed with Historic England, and the Town Council will keep residents informed.

The Guildhall

The Town Council has worked with Conservation Architect, Philip Belchere from Hook Mason and local heritage conservation firm Treasure & Son to ensure the essential works to the Grade I listed building would have a significant and positive impact on the historic Guildhall.

The Guildhall emerged from its scaffolding in July after the much needed refurbishment of the grade I listed building's roof gullies, lead work, front door and windows.Internally lime plaster ceilings have been repaired, and the newly reclaimed office space at the Guildhall has been welcomed by staff.

The historic Guildhall was originally the Palmers' Guildhall, a timber aisled hall built in the late 14th Century. The interior of the Guildhall is mostly the original intact 14th Century hall with its original roof with slanting cusped queen posts. The building is still supported by the original timber structure, although TF Pritchard encased the building in brick in circa 1768.

After the 1768 alterations, the building now consists of two storeys and is made up of brick, ashlar plinth and features a plain tile roof. The window sashes feature ‘Gothick’ glazing in pointed heads which are underneath brick pointed arches and four feature heraldic lights. There is a parapet with stone coping, a moulded stone cornice and brick modillion. The door case is Gothic in style and features triple shafts and a frieze with quatrefoils which was added in the alterations of 1768.

The Guildhall was Ludlow Magistrates Court until 2011. The interior of the building featured two courtrooms; Court One a Late 18th Century panelled courtroom with accompanying fittings. There was a raised bench, a witness box and a dock. There were framed paintings of the Royal Arms of George II and the Coat of Arms of the Prince of Wales above the judicial bench.Ludlow Town Council took up residence at the 600 year old Guildhall in 2012.

New Projects

The Linney Riverside Park

Ludlow Town Council’s Services Committee are considering a programme of improvements for the popular family-friendly Linney Riverside Park.

The first stage of proposed programme of improvement is the overdue refurbishment of the existing toilets. This first stage is expected to take place in early 2019 and to be funded from the Council’s earmarked reserves.

Further stages of the project that are under consideration are:

·The reinstatement of the facilities for a boating, and pitch and putt.

·Improved seating and catering facilities for simple drinks and snacks.

Long Term Projects

Bus Shelter in Corve Street

Ludlow Town Council are in the final discussions with Shropshire Council to agree Highways approval and partial funding for a bus shelter outside Halden House in Corve Street.

The site has been an ongoing topic of discussion for councillors with many different options being considered, but the difficulties of the limited size of the site have proved to be a sticking point.

Ludlow Town Council believes it has tracked down a style of shelter that will be robust and comply with Highways legislation regarding the safe minimum width of pavement.If approved by Highways, the shelter will have an integral timetable holder and bus stop signage.More information will follow.

Annual Grant Support

We are in the process of setting the 2019 / 20 budget and one of the first spending decisions we make is awarding grants.

Grant Support for the Local Community in 2019

Grant giving is an important function of a local authority.The grants are public money so the application and selection process is open and transparent.

For the financial year 2019/20, Ludlow Town Council received grant requests of nearly £59,000.00.All grant giving bodies are faced with limited resources, and the number of applications and the amounts requested are increasing year on year.

It is therefore a case of doing as much as possible with limited resources, which means that some organisations may be disappointed, some may receive lesser amounts than requested, and funding for a period in excess of one year may not be possible.

Grants were awarded for the financial year 2019 / 20 to:

Citizen’s Advice

£2,000.00

Crucial Crew

£300.00

Defib4you

£500.00

Friends of Whitcliffe

£500.00

Ludlow Assembly Rooms

£10,000.00

Ludlow Assembly Rooms – V I C

£5,000.00

Ludlow Breastfeeding Support Group

£560.00

Ludlow Choral Society

£300.00

Ludlow Concert Band

£500.00

Ludlow Fringe

£2,000.00

Ludlow in Bloom

£3,000.00

2nd Ludlow Rainbows

£300.00

Ludlow Town Colts Football Club

£500.00

Ludlow Youth Partnership

£3,000.00

Teme Weirs Trust

£300.00

Working Together Ludlow

£500.00

TOTAL

£29,260.00

Services Ludlow Town Council Provide Throughout the Year

As well as grants and one-off projects, Ludlow Town Council’sannual budget enables the continuation of local services & facilities including:

Running these local services gives employment to20 full and part-time staff, which equates to 15.4 full time members of staff (FTE)

Public Consultation

Prior to agreeing the budget, Councillors hand delivered consultation forms to households in Ludlow.There was a good level of response – seven hundred and thirty-one in total.

Six hundred and nine paper consultation forms were returned to the Guildhall, Mill Street, and one hundred and twenty-two people completed the consultation online.

Nearly seventy percent of residents who replied expressed support for the Town Council to provide local services cut by Shropshire Council and agreed to an increase in Council Tax.

New Services being developed & Local Grants Awarded in 2018 / 19

Ludlow Town Council has already opened Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross in 2016 and is investing in developing this new tourism service with assistance from Shropshire Council.

A new grant of £5,000.00 has been allocated to support Visitor Information Services in Ludlow.

A new small grant has also been allocated to assist Friends of Corve & Teme to develop a robust flooding strategy to support vulnerable locations and residents.

The town council have increased local community grants to £33,850.00 in2018/19.

Ludlow Town Council and Shropshire Council have progressed talks regarding the Town Council taking on and maintaining twelve recreation grounds and play areas in Ludlow.The 2018 / 19 budget includes provision for this increase to local service provision.

Financial Planning:

The Town Council has planned and budgeted for works to the Guildhall; refurbishment of The Linney toilets; development of the cemetery paths, and replacement of older machinery.

The Town Council is growing to meet the extra demands required to support the recent improvements to service provision, large projects, and changing from an organization under pressure from of lack of resources into a resilient organisation.

The Guildhall Grade I listed building – this project will be completed in 2018 /19 using existing funds.

The Town Walls Repairs: Ancient Scheduled Monument -the Town Walls Trust have funded the first phase of the works; and grant funding will be sought for phase two and three.There will be some costs to the town council in relation to professional and legal fees and provision for these is included within the 2018/19 budget.

Leading Ludlow’s Community Led Plan to create a new forward looking 5 – 10 year plan for Ludlow.The second stage consultation questionnaire will be released in February 2018.

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